by John Berry, for Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — They threw everything but the kitchen sink at Duc Dorleans at Pompano Park on Saturday night (Feb. 28) but this 5-year-old son of Shanghai Phil was most certainly up to the task as he scored a three-peat victory in 1:52.1 for Donald Dupont in the $13,500 Open Pace.

Skip Smith photo

Duc Dorleans scored a three-peat win in the $13,500 Open Handicap Pace at Pompano Park.

Beginning from the outside eight post in the octet, Duc Dorleans had to endure some very rough going early with others also seeking the early advantage, holes closing rapidly, and the necessity of a brief three wide binge around the opening turn before assuming control past the opening marker in :27.1.

Once there, though, Duc Dorleans was the “king” the rest of the journey, clocking panels of :56.2 and 1:24.4 before zipping home in :27.2 and putting the serious threat of P L Hellcat (Dan Clements) to bed in the final stages of the mile.

The final margin was 1-3/4 lengths over P L Hellcat with Cadillac Phil (Bruce Ranger) rallying for third. Coopers Beach was fourth after being shuffled on the backside while Neptune was fifth. Raji’s Blue Line, playing hardball with the winner early, made a miscue early, recovered on the backside to move into contention — briefly — then wound up sixth in the octet.

After the race, driver Don Dupont said, “This was not the easiest trip for us. They played, what you call it? ‘Hardball’ early and we didn’t have an easy path to the lead. I had to go from that post, you know, because you can’t spot these good horses anything early. Once we got to the lead, he was tested again around the final turn but, again, he responded well. I am proud of him.”

For Duc Dorleans, owned by Gestion C Levesque and Les Ecuries Dorleans, it was his fourth win in seven starts this year, sending his seasonal earnings to $29,260. He’s banked $431,056 lifetime. As the 8-5 choice, Duc Dorleans paid $5.40 to win.

The $10,000 co-featured conditioned pace went to Heart Felt with Rick Plano handling the lines for trainer Luanna Beeson.

This 4-year-old son of Well Said negotiated a track labeled “good” and decisively put a thrashing on his five rivals by stopping the timer in a lifetime best 1:50.2 in posting a 9-1/2 length triumph over Pontiac Luck (George Napolitano Jr.) with T’s Electric (Jason Dillander) third. Always N The Money finished fourth while Rocky Mountain was moved up a notch to fifth to garner the nickel in the sextet.

Owned by Winchester Baye Acres, Heart Felt rushed the gate at the start from the five post and discouraged any others with thoughts of making the top with a very sharp first eighth and then rambled down to the quarter in :27.4. A :28.3 “breather” in the second panel lit up the timer at the half in :56.2.

From there, Plano let Heart Felt roll, pacing a third quarter in :27.1 to open up a lead of almost six lengths past the third station in 1:23.3. He even bettered that in the final panel, striding home in :26.4 to post his career best mile in only 19 starts.

In a post race interview, Plano said, “Every week, this horse seems to pace in (1):51 and change so, tonight, when we got to the half kind of cheap for what he’s been used to, I thought he’d be around (1):51 and a piece again. I was pleasantly proven wrong!”

For this young season, Heart Felt shows a 4-3-0 scorecard in seven starts and $23,625 in the bank. He now has lifetime bounty of $67,622. As the overwhelming 1-2 favorite, Heart Felt paid $3.00 to win.

Also on the card was the $15,000 final of The Midnite Hardy Late Closing Event for claiming pacers and M G Home Run, very hot property recently off claims his last two starts and 4-5 on the board, was a wire-to-wire winner for Dave Ingraham in 1:53, a seasonal best time for this 8-year-old son of Astreos.

Trained by Randy Bickmore for new owner Emery Pelletier, M G Home Run clocked fractions of :27.1, :55.3 and 1:23.3 before coming home in :29.2 to hold off the 38-1 chance Kommander Hawk (Ben McNeil) by a half-length with First Impression (Bruce Ranger) rallying for third after being well back with three-eighths remaining. A List was fourth and Dojes Maidscaptor was fifth in the field of nine.

After the race, driver Dave Ingraham said, “This is the first time I have driven this horse but I knew that he won many times (actually 21 of his 36 prior lifetime wins) on the front end. So, this being a $15,000 race, I thought, ‘why not send him?’ He raced giant tonight…but I am glad the wire came when it did!”

Winning for the 37th time during his career measuring 153 lifetime starts, this win was the richest payday for M G Home Run since his very first lifetime win — an Ontario Sire Stakes win worth $10,320 back on July 17, 2009 — that in his very first pari-mutuel start as a 2-year-old. M G Home Run, paying $3.60 to win, sent his lifetime earnings to $221,299.

Another notable performance on the program was produced by the ageless 11-year-old St Pete Star, handled by Jason Dillander, This son of Life Sign won for the 54th time in his illustrious career, mowing down, first, Red Hot Yankee (George Napolitano Jr.), who eventually finished third, and then holding off Fearless Chip (Rick Plano), who got up for second (at 63-1) to score in 1:53.2.

With the 60-1 chance Rock N Go fourth, the 20 cent superfecta ticket was worth $7,813.12.

St Pete Star, a recent claim by owner-trainer Shawn Glassmeyer, now has banked $614,434 during his career of 280 starts.

Finally, the pacer Oozie’s Bad Boy was honored in a retirement ceremony after the first race tonight by Retired Life Stable owners Mindy and Jan Repko. Oozie’s Bad Boy gained wide popularity with his 11-year-old season which saw him win the most races in any season during his career, earn the most money and take a lifetime mark of 1:49.4.

The Super Hi-5 carryover vaulted over the $10,000 mark for Sunday night’s program when 46-1 outsider Mackenzie’s Bliss captured the Pompano Park finale on Saturday night. The 10-1-5-4-ALL 20 cent consolation paid $1,188.34.

Post time for Sunday’s card is 7:30 p.m.